Student-level expectancy and utility value positively, and effort cost negatively, predict subsequent science achievement and aspirations¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Students reporting higher expectancy and utility value, and lower effort cost, than classmates showed higher achievement and aspirations two weeks later beyond prior levels, with mainly large effect sizes; the effort-cost-to-achievement relation was moderate and negative. → David W. Putwain 2026

Evidence¶

David W. Putwain 2026¶

David W. Putwain, Andrea Mallaburn, Hanna Gaspard. (2026). Student perceptions of teacher messages about the value of science in the classroom. Learning and Instruction 104 (2026) 102365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2026.102365

q2 · i? · associational · r2

ML-SEM analyses at the student level (L1) with autoregressive controls on prior achievement and aspirations; three models (expectancy, utility value, effort cost) each predicted T4 achievement and aspirations from T3 beliefs. The article characterizes effects as mainly large, with a moderate negative path from effort cost to achievement, but prints no standardized coefficient in the quoted text.

"Students who reported higher expectancy, utility value, and lower effort cost than their classmates (i.e., the L1 portion of the model) showed higher achievement and aspirations, beyond prior levels, with mainly large effect sizes (an exception was the moderate negative relation from effort cost to achievement)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Student-level achievement and aspirations positively predict subsequent expectancy and utility value, but not effort cost — related
• Class-average utility value predicts class achievement, and class-average expectancy, utility value, and lower effort cost predict class aspirations — related
• Perceived teacher value messages indirectly predict achievement via utility value and aspirations via expectancy and utility value — related
• Learners invest more effort in tasks they perceive as interesting, personally important, or useful to their future goals. — a broader claim this one bears on